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Tuesday, August 5, 2014

A few hours ago, Amnesty International released a gruesome video
on its YouTube channel claiming Nigerian soldiers are involved in war crimes. Amnesty International wrote alongside the video;

Gruesome video footage gathered by Amnesty International provide fresh
evidence of war crimes, including extrajudicial executions, and other
serious human rights violations being carried out in northern
Nigeria as the fight by the military against Boko Haram and other armed
groups intensifies.

The footage, obtained from numerous sources
during a recent trip to Borno state, reveals graphic evidence of
multiple war crimes being carried out in Nigeria.

It includes
horrific images of detainees having their throats slit one by one and
dumped in mass graves by men who appear to be members of the Nigerian
military and the “Civilian Joint Task Force” (CJTF), state-sponsored
militias. It also shows the aftermath of a Boko Haram raid on a village
in which the armed group killed nearly 100 people and destroyed or badly
damaged scores of homes and other buildings.

The Nigerian military has reacted to the video via its Defence
Information Director, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade. The military say they
plan to investigate the video. Find the statement after the cut...

INVESTIGATING AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL VIDEO ALLEGATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSE BY NIGERIAN MILITARY

Gentlemen of the Press,

Welcome to this press briefing which was compelled by the urgent need to
clarify some developments arising from our counter-terrorism operations
in the country.

The Nigerian military welcomes the interest being shown by international
bodies and civil society groups on the observance of Human Rights in
all aspects of ongoing counter terrorism campaign in Nigeria. Despite
the highly challenging and peculiar nature of the variables in the
operations, the importance of accountability for all actions has
remained paramount. The Armed Forces of Nigeria is conscious of the
nation’s obligation to observe all rules, regulations and commitments in
all activities, and wishes to reassure the international community,
bodies and citizens that it will not encourage or condone any form of
violation.

It is expedient to particularly address the recent allegation of gross
Human Rights abuses leveled against the military by the Amnesty
International and those circulating video footage purportedly showing
Nigerian military carrying out extra-judicial killing of suspected
terrorists.

For the records, we must unequivocally state that the Nigerian military
takes the issue of Human Rights seriously and will never condone any
proven case of abuse by its personnel. Military authorities are deeply
concerned about the set of video footage being circulated and which
unfortunately has also become reference data for Amnesty International
in its report. Much as the scenes depicted in these videos are alien to
our operations and doctrines, it has to be investigated to ensure that
such practices have not crept, surreptitiously into the system all to
the detriment of expectations, in line with best practices to which the
nation’s military has committed itself.

The Defence Headquarters considers these allegations too grievous to be
associated with Nigerian troops, considering the doctrinal and
operational contents of the training imparted to personnel on a
continuous basis; emphasizing the importance of respect for Human Rights
and dignity of human person as well as observance of humanitarian
laws. Rather, the scenes in that video clip clearly depict a pattern
consistent with the atrocious operations of the terrorists.

Notwithstanding the cases of impersonations that have pervaded the
counter terrorism operations in Nigeria and many other related issues
which cast doubts on the claims made in the video, the Defence
Headquarters views those grave allegations very seriously, more so as it
borders on the integrity of the ongoing counter-terrorism operation,
which must be sustained in the interest of our national survival.

Consequently, the Defence Headquarters in addition to the already
existing Joint Investigation Team (JIT) has constituted a team of senior
officers and legal cum forensic experts to study the video footage and
the resultant allegations of infractions in order to ascertain the
veracity of the claims with a view to identifying those behind such
acts. This will further determine and stimulate necessary legal action
against any personnel or anyone found culpable in accordance with the
provisions of the law.

You will recall that a Joint Investigation Team (JIT) was earlier
constituted based on previous allegations of human rights abuse. The
JIT is still in place and have regularly conducted visits to detention
facilities. It is currently on tour of some of such facilities across
the country. The JIT has also regularly forwarded names of those
suspects who are culpable to the Ministry of Justice for prosecution.
An additional list is currently being compiled to facilitate the
decongestion of detention facilities.

These attempts at protecting the rights of detained terror suspects
categorically point to the fact that as a professional institution with
thorough-bred officers and men, the Nigerian military cannot be party to
such degree of savagery, as portrayed in the video footage available to
Amnesty International. The Nigerian military has over the years
demonstrated a pedigree devoid of such acts in several operational
theatres in and out of the country. There is no reason why this should
change at this stage of our national life.

Without mincing words, the Nigerian Armed Forces cannot condone any
action or inaction that tramples on the right to life of any Nigerian.
The ultimate objective of Nigeria’s counter-terrorism operation is the
complete cessation of the heinous and barbaric activities of the
terrorists and to stamp out every vestige of terrorism in our country
with the application of international best practices in such operations.
It will, therefore, be absurd for the Nigerian Armed Forces as an
institution to perpetrate such unprofessional acts in the manner and
level depicted in that video as alleged by Amnesty International.
Respect for the sanctity of life is always boldly emphasized in our
doctrinal trainings. Indeed, that level of barbarism and impunity has no
place in the Nigerian military. It must thus be reiterated that the
Nigerian military is a very well organized professional body of troops
whose conducts in war and peace times are guided comprehensively by
law.

We assure Nigerians and indeed the international community that the
Nigerian Armed Forces recognizes the concern of Amnesty International as
well as other similar bodies and therefore remains committed to the
observance of the rules of engagement and human rights in its
counter-terrorism operations.